Thigpen-Zavala Elementary

Summary:

Thigpen-Zavala Elementary is a public elementary school in McAllen, Texas, serving 494 students in grades PK-5. The school stands out within the McAllen Independent School District, which is ranked 323 out of 968 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Thigpen-Zavala has seen a remarkable turnaround in recent years, moving from the bottom 20% of Texas elementary schools in 2020-2021 to the top 15% in 2023-2024. Its SchoolDigger rating has also improved from 1 star to 4 stars over the same period. This dramatic improvement is particularly noteworthy given the school's significantly higher Hispanic student population (96.56%) compared to nearby schools, which range from 86.26% to 96.97% Hispanic students. Thigpen-Zavala's Hispanic, English Language Learner, and Low Socioeconomic Status student groups have consistently outperformed their peers at the district and state levels, ranking in the top 10-15% of Texas schools for these subgroups.

Thigpen-Zavala's strong performance is reflected in its STAAR test scores, which are significantly higher than the district and state averages, particularly in 5th grade where the school outperforms the state by 20-30 percentage points. This success may be attributed to the school's relatively high per-student spending ($12,671 in 2020-2021) and low student-teacher ratio (15.1 in 2022-2023), highlighting the importance of adequate resources and support for student learning. While Thigpen-Zavala outperforms the nearby Seguin Elementary, Romulo D Martinez Elementary, and other schools in the McAllen ISD, the district as a whole struggles to match the state's average performance, suggesting a need for district-wide improvement initiatives.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 2500 Galveston Ave
       McAllen, TX  78501


(956) 971-4377

District: McAllen Independent School District (Isd)

SchoolDigger Rank:
542nd of 4,675 Texas Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $12,671 Help


Students who attend Thigpen-Zavala Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Travis Middle
High:    McAllen High School

Student/teacher ratio:  15.1 Help
Number of students:  494

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
96.6%
White:
3.0%
American Indian:
0.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  94.3% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Thigpen-Zavala Elementary ranks better than 88.4% of elementary schools in Texas. It also ranks 3rd among 18 ranked elementary schools in the McAllen Independent School District (Isd). (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 85.73. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (96.6%), White (3%), American Indian (0.4%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 94.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Thigpen-Zavala Elementary is 15.1. 14 elementary schools in the McAllen Independent School District (Isd) have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
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Compare Thigpen-Zavala Elementary employs 32.6 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Thigpen-Zavala Elementary is $12,671, which is the 3rd highest among 18 elementary schools in the McAllen Independent School District (Isd).
Schooldigger Rankings:

Thigpen-Zavala Elementary was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

McAllen Independent School District (Isd):

SchoolDigger ranks McAllen Independent School District (Isd) 323rd of 968 Texas school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Thigpen-Zavala Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Thigpen-Zavala Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2010 34.59 3096th 3937 21.4%
2011 37.26 3083rd 4095 24.7%
2012 37.56 3022nd 4206 28.2%
2013 39.42 2900th 4221 31.3%
2014 50.39 2312th 4260 45.7%
2015 55.47 2040th 4320 52.8%
2016 34.13 3099th 4286 27.7%
2017 27.22 3319th 4329 23.3%
2018 34.93 2884th 4359 33.8%
2019 34.62 3044th 4479 32.0%
2021 22.13 3703rd 4578 19.1%
2022 71.72 1085th 4581 76.3%
2023 80.50 749th 4647 83.9%
2024 85.73 542nd 4675 88.4%
See the entire list of Texas Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Thigpen-Zavala Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 59.22 1047th 3226 67.5%
2019 50.69 1530th 3333 54.1%
2021 32.97 2495th 3446 27.6%
2022 71.96 626th 3487 82.0%
2023 81.45 348th 3556 90.2%
See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Thigpen-Zavala Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 55.85 1108th 3558 68.9%
2019 49.83 1425th 3684 61.3%
2021 33.27 2540th 3799 33.1%
2022 52.55 1418th 3952 64.1%
2023 59.54 1113th 4086 72.8%
See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Thigpen-Zavala Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 49.28 2087th 4264 51.1%
2019 45.00 2429th 4309 43.6%
2021 28.07 3519th 4451 20.9%
2022 82.30 381st 4477 91.5%
2023 87.93 214th 4521 95.3%
See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Migrant students at Thigpen-Zavala Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 46.17 63rd 112 43.8%
See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for Migrant Students!

Rank History for Female students at Thigpen-Zavala Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 33.87 3004th 4306 30.2%
2019 32.99 3133rd 4348 27.9%
2021 17.61 4042nd 4499 10.2%
2022 67.61 1193rd 4561 73.8%
2023 70.17 1094th 4588 76.2%
See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Thigpen-Zavala Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 31.10 2310th 3006 23.2%
2022 79.23 17th 2958 99.4%
2023 60.94 1411th 2980 52.7%
See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for At Risk students at Thigpen-Zavala Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 63.20 1129th 4240 73.4%
2019 60.72 1295th 4295 69.8%
2021 32.20 3191st 4331 26.3%
2022 86.79 259th 4461 94.2%
See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for At Risk Students!

Rank History for Male students at Thigpen-Zavala Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 36.82 2783rd 4319 35.6%
2019 36.76 2866th 4357 34.2%
2021 28.16 3307th 4498 26.5%
2022 72.23 1031st 4563 77.4%
2023 84.73 523rd 4585 88.6%
See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Thigpen-Zavala Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools TX State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 41.50 2487th 4168 40.3%
2019 40.45 2602nd 4188 37.9%
2021 27.44 3417th 4329 21.1%
2022 77.34 622nd 4376 85.8%
2023 86.01 341st 4401 92.3%
See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Data source: test scores: Texas Education Agency, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Thigpen-Zavala Elementary Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
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District Scores:
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Data source: Texas Education Agency

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)
0%

0%

0%

0%

100%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Open Quote They do not care about bullying, claim they do...but, work very hard to discredit the child...They, staff and teacher's are the main bullies. Stop punishing children whose parents can't afford to participate.. This school is located in a very poor neighborhood.... but, there isn't a month that goes by when parents are forced to participate in some stupid endeavor.... They may deny they force participation...but, if you reward one child for participating and exclude the others.... that's a punishment geniuses..... Should dumb people like these be allowed to teach our children?....I hate this school.. Stop trying to sell me things....my friends don't want overpriced," dollar store items"....Do not make claims it's all for the children......teach, that's your job....your only job...last comment. When did this our greatest demonstration of socialism... become capitalism at it's worst... Close Quote



Enrollment information for Thigpen-Zavala Elementary

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2008 1 0 0 657 0 n/a n/a 0 658
2009 0 0 0 657 0 n/a n/a 0 657
2010 0 0 0 669 1 n/a n/a 0 670
2011 3 0 0 688 0 0 0 0 691
2012 1 0 0 625 0 0 0 0 626
2013 0 0 0 635 1 0 0 0 636
2014 2 1 0 626 0 0 0 0 629
2015 3 0 0 643 0 0 0 0 646
2016 7 0 0 607 0 0 0 0 614
2017 7 0 0 613 0 0 0 0 620
2018 7 1 0 578 0 0 0 0 586
2019 7 1 0 507 0 0 0 0 515
2020 6 1 0 436 0 0 0 0 443
2021 7 1 0 402 0 0 0 0 410
2022 19 0 0 451 0 0 0 0 470
2023 15 0 0 477 2 0 0 0 494

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Thigpen-Zavala Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2008 658 37.5 17.5 19.9
2009 657 35.9 18.3 12.3
2010 670 35.2 19.0 0
2011 691 37.4 18.4 0
2012 626 35.9 17.4 0
2013 636 34.4 18.4 88.1
2014 629 33.4 18.8 95.1
2015 646 36.0 17.9 96.1
2016 614 36.0 17.0 95.4
2017 620 35.7 17.3 95.3
2018 586 38.9 15.0 95.7
2019 515 35.8 14.3 95
2020 443 32.7 13.5 95.7
2021 410 29.3 13.9 95.4
2022 470 32.1 14.6 94.9
2023 494 32.6 15.1 94.3

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Thigpen-Zavala Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2008 658 37.5 17.5 19.9
2009 657 35.9 18.3 12.3
2010 670 35.2 19.0 0
2011 691 37.4 18.4 0
2012 626 35.9 17.4 0
2013 636 34.4 18.4 88.1
2014 629 33.4 18.8 95.1
2015 646 36.0 17.9 96.1
2016 614 36.0 17.0 95.4
2017 620 35.7 17.3 95.3
2018 586 38.9 15.0 95.7
2019 515 35.8 14.3 95
2020 443 32.7 13.5 95.7
2021 410 29.3 13.9 95.4
2022 470 32.1 14.6 94.9
2023 494 32.6 15.1 94.3

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Thigpen-Zavala Elementary

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $1,148 (11.6%) $8,725 (88.4%) $9,873
2020 $1,685 (14.7%) $9,778 (85.3%) $11,463
2021 $1,508 (11.9%) $11,163 (88.1%) $12,671

Data source: Texas Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Thigpen-Zavala Elementary

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 3044th of 4479 Elementary schoolsRanks 749th of 4647 Elementary schools
 51.8%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade Reading (Thigpen-Zavala Elementary)3062
 32%
   3rd Grade Reading (McAllen Independent School District (Isd))4653
 7%
   3rd Grade Reading (Texas)4450
 6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Thigpen-Zavala Elementary)5176
 25%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (McAllen Independent School District (Isd))5147
 4%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Texas)4843
 5%
4th Grade Reading (Thigpen-Zavala Elementary)2450
 26%
   4th Grade Reading (McAllen Independent School District (Isd))4853
 5%
   4th Grade Reading (Texas)4347
 4%
4th Grade Mathematics (Thigpen-Zavala Elementary)4256
 14%
   4th Grade Mathematics (McAllen Independent School District (Isd))5055
 5%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Texas)4647
 1%
5th Grade Reading (Thigpen-Zavala Elementary)2967
 38%
   5th Grade Reading (McAllen Independent School District (Isd))5566
 11%
   5th Grade Reading (Texas)5156
 5%
5th Grade Mathematics (Thigpen-Zavala Elementary)4571
 26%
   5th Grade Mathematics (McAllen Independent School District (Isd))6359
 4%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Texas)5650
 6%
5th Grade Science (Thigpen-Zavala Elementary)4549
 4%
   5th Grade Science (McAllen Independent School District (Isd))5336
 17%
   5th Grade Science (Texas)4834
 14%
5th Grade Reading (Thigpen-Zavala Elementary)7340
 33%
   5th Grade Reading (McAllen Independent School District (Isd))6434
 30%
   5th Grade Reading (Texas)5333
 20%
5th Grade Mathematics (Thigpen-Zavala Elementary)4443
 1%
   5th Grade Mathematics (McAllen Independent School District (Isd))3620
 16%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Texas)2820
 8%
5th Grade Science (Thigpen-Zavala Elementary)2713
 14%
   5th Grade Science (McAllen Independent School District (Isd))2211
 11%
   5th Grade Science (Texas)1811
 7%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students515494
 4.1%
African American10
 100%
American Indian02
Asian00
Hispanic507477
 5.9%
Pacific Islander00
White715
 114.3%
Two or More Races00
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients95%94.3%
 0.6%


Schools Near Thigpen-Zavala Elementary









Frequently Asked Questions about Thigpen-Zavala Elementary

Students who attend Thigpen-Zavala Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Travis Middle
High : McAllen High School

In the 2022-23 school year, 494 students attended Thigpen-Zavala Elementary.

Students at Thigpen-Zavala Elementary are 97% Hispanic, 3% White.

Thigpen-Zavala Elementary ranks 542nd of 4675 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Texas Education Agency.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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